Game device.



No. 690,656I Patented 1an. 7, i902.

E,LASKER.

/ `GAME nEvlcE.

(Application med .rune 6, 1901.;

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMANUEL LASKER, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

GAME DEVICE.

'sPEcIFIcATI'oN forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,656, datedJanuary 7, 1902. Application flied June 5,1901. serian-0. 63,268.(roman.)

.To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that LEMANUEL LAsKER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,and a resident of Manchester, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Game Devices and the Like; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and Ause the same.

The invention relates to devices for the exercise of mental skill, andmore particularly to devices of this character in which aplaying-surface is employed dividedinto squares of diif'erent or specialvalues,'over which devices, figures, or symbols are'moved in respect tocertain objective points.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and entertainingsystem and means Ifor teaching strategy in its more particular relationto military tactics or war, and, stated in general terms, it may be'saidto comprise two main parts-"-namely, a permanent playingsurface visibleat all times to the players divided off into squares upon which isprinted-or otherwise illustrated a military map of certain territory orterritories and having an attack and a defense consisting of iigures,devices, or symbols representative of armed forces-,which Ishall-hereinafter refer to as spadas, and vthe other part, which'I shallrefer to as the map, consisting of a facsimile of the permanentplaying-surface, but by preference of much smaller size, so as to beconcealed in the lap of the player and upon which is marked or tracedthe positions assumed by the defense, according as the attack advancesor retreats.

The invention further consists in means or indicia forindicatingl areverse or temporary reverse or disablement of a spada and a resumptionor renewal of conflict thereby, all as 'will be presently described andclaimed.

The nature, characteristic features, and

scope of the invention will be more clearly un` derstood by reference tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure l isa top View of the board or per-l manent playing -surface; Fig. 2, asimilar view of its complemental map, which is here shown as of the samesize for convenience of illustration; and Fig. 3 is a perspective viewshowing one. of the spadas and its detachable parts.

Having reference to the drawings, a represents a suitable'playing-surface divided off into squares b, which may have printed orotherwise illustrated thereon certain'natural obstructions Y to thepassage of an army, such as rivers and mountains, which are illustratedin the drawings in the conventional mode. There may be also a fortress cand towns or cities, as represented at d. The particular arrangementshown is not essential, and it will be understood that these featuresmay be arranged in other ways, the

present illustration being shown merely as an example and is only oneinstanceof the many applications to which theinvention is susceptible.

The board may be said to be 'divided'into two sections A and B, theformer representing the territory or ground normally occupied by thedefense and the latter that occupied by theattack. The defense is showndiagrammatically by crosses as occupying the natural eminences ormountain-passes and the fortress c. The attack consists of devices,gures, or symbols designated, respec` tively,.spadas l 2 3 4. Forconvenience of illustration these are shown as ordinary blocks,'whichare by preference considerably longer than broad, the long siderepresenting the front and the short side the flank.' Each' spada isprovided with a detachable ilagstaff which is insertedinto a'socket jy,-and has a removable flag c, for a purpose presently eX- v v plaine'd. 4v

As already stated, the map, Fig. 2, is a replica of the board, exceptthat it is of considerably-less size, and this map-surface is made ofmaterial capable of receiving markings or to be traced with a pencil.

The initial 4positions of the spadas of defense and attack arerepresented, respectively, by crosses aud by pieces designated l 2 3 4:.The spadas of defense are similar to those of the attack; but one setwill sufce'to explain the system.

In the present application of the invention the following code of rulesmight be suggested: l

First. The game is played by two persons, (or parties,) who are styledthe defense IOO advantage in material superiority, the de-- fense willhave scored.

Third. The attack may on each day move as many of its spadas as it seesfit. The defense proceeds similarly by indicating on the map with apencil the line of march of each of its spadas, the board being visibleto both players, while the map is reserved to the defense.

Fourth. If one of the spadas of the defense is not more than ltwosections distant from the section occupied by a spada of the attack, thedefense must indicate the lposition of its spada on the board.

Fifth. The spada may move in any direction backward and forward, exceptin the direction of its tiank. Its front is always pointed in thedirection of the line of march it has executed.

Sixth. Two spadas of the same party must not occupy the same square.

Seventh. If a hostile spada marches on the square occupied by anopponent, it engages the same and a combat ensues. A spada whichvoluntarily retires from the conflict is defeated. In sign thereof aiiagpole a: with a flag ,ais passed thro u ghit. A spada is obliged toretreat if a hostile spada not engaged in a combat enters a squareadjoining that whereon the combat is taking place. A spada must retirewhen a hostile spada comes from a square onto which the former could notmove-for instance, if assailed in its fiank. On the day of thev retreatof the defeated spada the victorious spada must remain in its position.

Eighth. A defeated spada may move accordingto rule 2,butcannotengageinasecond combat before having had two days of rest. After thefirst day the flag is removed from the fiagstaff and after the secondday the flagstalf is removed from the spada, which is then restored toits initial value. A defeated spada which cannot avoid being engaged istaken from the board.

Ninth. The rivers divide all squares through which they pass into twoparts. Each part, for the purpose of the above rules, counts as asquare. A spada can only cross a river by passing from one half of thedivided square to the other half of it, but is not permitted to do so ifthe latter half is occupied by a hostile spada. The fortress is square,which the attack is not permitted to enter.

Tenth. On difficult groundaspada engaged by a hostile spada may retreatwithout the penalty mentioned under rule 7 being enn forced.

The spadas of the attack and the defense will of course be provided withsome mark or color to distinguish them from each other.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains that modiiications may be made in details without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the same. Hence I do not limit myself tothe precise construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove setforth,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; but,

Having thus described the nature and objects of the invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by' Letters Patent, is'- 1. Apparatusfor teaching strategy, com prising a main board lor playing-surface,devices to be moved over said playingsurface, and an auxiliary board ormap constructed and adapted to receive a graphic record of countermoves,and having the same design as the main board, substantially asdescribed.

:2. Apparatus for teaching strategy, comprising a main board orplaying-surface having objective points toward which figures, ,de-

vices or symbols are moved by one opponent, g l and an auxiliary boardor map upon which EHANUEL LASKER.

In presence of JAS. A. RICHMOND, WALTER A. WILLIAMS.

roo

